Cornell University Develops Bio-Inspired Flexible Solar Skin

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Jenny Sabin Lab at Cornell University is developing a bio-inspired solar energy collection system called "HelioSkin," which mimics plant phototropism through mechanical tracking technology to enhance solar energy capture efficiency across different building scales.

The system's design integrates kirigami and auxetic geometry, using structural deformation to track the sun's position. HelioSkin is currently funded by the 2024 U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator (NSF Convergence Accelerator), with application targets covering residential, institutional, and building-integrated solar energy. The proposed prototype is a portable, dual-axis canopy covering approximately 150 square feet, capable of dynamically changing its shape while tracking sunlight, with its overall outer surface adjusting to optimize light capture as the sun's position changes. Additionally, the tensile structure will integrate low-power, tunable ePaper displays produced via roll-to-roll printing, providing customizable lighting functions for consumer brand logos, canopies, and building-integrated installations.